The present invention relates generally to molded plastic garment hangers as are widely used for the purpose of shipping and displaying garments. More specifically, the present invention relates to top garment hangers with snap-on pads, which permits removal of the pads from the hangers depending on the usable conditions of the pads and the hangers and further permits strategic reuse of the pads and the hangers to save materials. The top garment hangers according to the present invention are environmentally advantageous.
In the area of retail garment sales, so-called Garment-On-Hanger (GOH) programs have become preferred by retailers. In a GOH program, garments are delivered to retail merchants already suspended from hangers, where upon arrival at the retail location the garments are immediately placed on display for sale. One application of the GOH programs is top garments such as T-shirts, polo shirts, jackets and the like. The garments are placed on a hanger and then shipped from the remote destination to the retail establishment.
In particular, retailers have specified particular hangers or hanger characteristics among their several suppliers in order to achieve uniformity on their sales floors. To this end, standards as to hanger size, shape, performance characteristics, etc., are maintained, for example, by organizations such as the Voluntary Inter-industry Commerce Standards Association (VICS). One particular standardized hanger feature is popular across several hanger models, namely a top garment hanger suitable for suspending, shipping and displaying a wide variety of top garments, such as shirts, jackets and the like.
When needed for a specific use, such as for hanging coats, blazers and other heavier garments, a top garment hanger is typically fitted with rubbery pads over-molded along the shoulder portion of the hanger to help retain the garments on the hangers. One problem of the top garments hangers with over-molded strips is that the pads tend to gather dirt, which is difficult to remove, and accordingly become discolored. The soiled hangers with discolored pads do not appeal to potential costumers, and thus have to be replaced by the retailers, even though in many cases the hangers are not soiled and still usable. This causes significant waste of raw materials and energy used to manufacture the hangers, which is not environmentally sound.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for improved top garment hangers and non-slip pads, which enable easy, quick and secure attachment of the pads to the hangers while maintaining the reusable characteristics of the pads and the hanger so as to provide an environmentally friendly product.